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Kalispell, Montana
Founded in 1891, Kalispell is now a bustling small city and home to much history, culture, commercial activity and outdoor recreation. Old west charm, breathtaking scenery, bustling businesses, a welcoming community, a casual lifestyle, and exceptional outdoor recreation opportunities, it is no wonder that Kalispell was named "The Best Mountain Town in America" by Mountain Sports and Living magazine. Art and culture is everywhere in Kalispell. Huckleberry, a 2000 pound carved bear, greets visitors at the corner of Main and Center Streets, and murals grace historic buildings. There are studios, galleries, art festivals, and cultural events all over town. As the cultural center of the Flathead Valley, Kalispell is home to the Conrad Mansion Museum, the Museum at Central School, and the Hockaday Museum of Art. Kalispell hosts the Glacier Jazz Stampede each October, and the city sponsors a Picnic in the Park summer concert series in Depot Park. The Glacier Symphony and Chorale performs in Kalispell and throughout the Flathead Valley.
For shopping and services, Kalispell has it all with everything from a quaint historic downtown district with unique local shops, cafes, and fine dining, to major national retailers, banks and services throughout town.
Web site: www.KalispellChamber.com
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Events and Festivals |
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July
Arts in the Park
A benefit for the Hockaday Museum held the fourth weekend in July each year in Kalispell’s Depot Park. The festival is the largest art and music festival in Northwest Montana. With over 100 fine artists and craftsmen, wonderful foods, and great entertainment, this juried art show is a benefit for the Museum and a favorite for browsing and buying jewelry, photography, paintings, and pottery. |
 
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Conrad
Mission
The Conrad Mansion in Kalispell, Montana sits proudly today on the edge of the original townsite, atop a bluff overlooking the valley and the Swan mountain range. When Charles E. Conrad, a founder of Kalispell, arrived in the Flathead Valley in 1891, this lovely town with its tree-lined streets was still but a dream. But Conrad had vision, and he felt that not only had he found a good investment opportunity, but also a permanent home for his descendants. Along with establishing the Kalispell Townsite Company and eventually the Conrad National Bank, he had this gracious Victorian home built for his beloved family in 1895 in what was then a wilderness.
Hockaday Museum of Art
The Hockaday Museum of Art’s exhibitions focus on the art and culture of Montana and the artists of Glacier National Park. The Museum offers rotating exhibits of works by nationally renowned and emerging artists and a permanent exhibition entitled “Crown of the Continent: Glacier National Park Gallery.” Children will enjoy a Discovery Gallery with hands-on activities, which change in theme along with the rotating exhibits. Shop for unique gifts created by local artists in the Museum’s Off the Wall Gift Gallery. Browse through a great selection of books on the art, history, and culture of Montana as well as pottery, jewelry, cards, t-shirts, and unique works created by local artists. The Hockaday is housed in a turn-of-the-century Carnegie Library Building that is listed in the National Registry of Historic Places. The more than 100-year-old building, now handicapped accessible, has undergone significant renovations to create a sophisticated museum setting while retaining the building’s historic beauty. The Hockaday Museum of Art is open all year. Summer hours (June to August): Tuesday - Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Winter hours (September to May): Tuesday - Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission: $5/adults, $4/seniors, $2/students, $1/ages 6 to 18, and members are always free.
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Golf
Fishing
Flathead Lake
Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park, the fourth largest National Park in the U.S. in the lower 48 states, is comprised of 1.4 million acres of breathtaking beauty and is one of the oldest scenic wonders in the United States. The famous Going-To-The-Sun Road, carved out of solid rock and completed in 1932, is approximately fifty miles long, bisecting the Park east and west. This breathtaking trip to the top of the Continental Divide is one of the most scenic in the world. www.NPS.gov/glac/
Hiking
Skateboard Park
Skiing & Snowboarding
Big Mountain Ski and Summer Resort 406.862.7669, www.BigMtn.com.
Blacktail Mountain Ski Area 406.844.0999, www.BlacktailMountain.com.
Water Park & Swimming Pool
Woodland Park
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